| >
About Us
The Tutors
Brian Barrett and Andrew Coe run what are generally recognised as the most effective social photography courses in the UK.
They have an outstanding record of taking people from different occupations (with little and in many cases no photographic experience) and training them to become accomplished award-winning wedding and portrait photographers.
 |
Andrew Coe
An entrepreneur, business man and teacher - a unique combination and unrivalled in the world of Professional Photography.
Andrew was the power behind and owner of the first studio to take more than £1 million in portrait and wedding photography in a single year.
His attention to detail and commitment to quality lead him to create one of the first professional colour labs in the UK.
He founded GGS Photography, the largest commercial photography studio in East Anglia.
Recognising an opportunity to combine consumer trends in photographic printing and the move to digital photography Andrew established the first 'one-hour' mini lab chain in the UK. Each of which included an upmarket Wedding and Portrait studio. In total 27 studios in places such as Cambridge, Northampton, Lincoln and Nottingham, with combined sales of over £7,500,000.
Like Brian Barrett, his partner and photography co-trainer, Andrew has been a winner of countless awards in both the UK and America.
Unusually for someone presenting wedding and portrait training programmes he is a qualified teacher. Another unique demonstration of Andrew's abilities.
Perhaps Andrew’s biggest strengths are that he is constantly striving to make photographers better at their craft, combines tried and tested photographic techniques with contemporary design/print and recognises that all of this can be applied in a profitable business environment without any previous photographic experience.
Andrew Coe – a unique combination of talents and someone who knows ‘what works’ because of the theory is being successfully practiced throughout the UK by hundreds of successful photographers who have graduated through the Barrett & Coe School of Photography.
|
 |
Brian Barrett
Brian has won more than awards than 400 Wedding and Portrait awards in the UK including Fuji Wedding Photographer of the Year, Agfa Portrait Photographer of the year, Craftsman of the Year for the Guild of Wedding Photographers and the Lord Lichfield Trophy awarded by the BIPP.
He is one of only a handful of British Photographers to appear more than twice in the Professional Photographers of America Loan Collection alongside Charles Green and Peter Dyer.
Brian has been booked by the Professional Photographers' Society of New York, to speak at their Photo Imaging Workshop from 22nd to 27th July 2007. This is some of what they say about him:
"Brian is a beacon for those who not only want to master their craft but also have the desire and enthusiasm to keep learning. His current wedding and portrait work is innovative and challenging but above all combines digital photography with contemporary influences in posing and lighting."
"He has had to embrace technology and the move from 'film only' in a way that clearly demonstrates his camera craft and understanding of consumer trends and needs."
"When asked about his teaching style Brian has always been reluctant to take enough credit for his ability to blend theory and practical sessions in a way that never makes the people with him feel in any way inferior. A close work college described him as The Pied Piper in saying that once Brian had a camera in his hand everyone followed him. He went on to add that Brian's obvious love of his work and his steely determination to become better was evident in everything he did."
|
Barrett and Coe Training is recognised by the Master Photographers Association.
Click on the letter below to view full size.
Below is part an article that appeared in Professional Photographer Magazine September 2000
 
It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I found myself in Norwich recently for a practical wedding photography seminar weekend, which is part of a six-month practical and theory training programme run by Andrew Coe and Brian Barrett.
Between them, the pair have taken, talked, and taught social photography for over 30 years, while at the same time running and maintaining a very successful chain of wedding and portrait studios, which undertakes 600 wedding a year.
Both are excellent communicators. Andrew actually trained as a teacher, albeit in history, English and PE. And if he is the straightman, Brian, is then the joker keeping everyone amused and entertained with his banter - an effective combination.
Perhaps not surprisingly, most of those attending were either currently employed in, or retired from, a profession completely unrelated to photography. Among the group of eight people on the course, we had a GP, a retired police officer and an engineer from the aircraft industry as well as a press photographer, who simply wanted to earn some extra cash.
 
The day began with a briefing by Andrew Coe, who reassured those assembled that for many people, even seasoned professional photographers, the very thought of photographing a wedding is frightening. There were lots of nodding heads among the delegates.
Coe explained how a wedding should be broken down into manageable chunks, with each bit being dealt with separately.
This breaking down of the wedding into four separate events - leaving out covering the bride at home - makes it a less daunting task.
The first part deals with the arrivals. This includes the groom's shots and the arrival of the bride, right up to the point when they enter the church.
The next group of shots is inside the church, covering the signing of the register, the walk back down the aisle, and the traditional shot of the couple looking back through the church door.
Part three entails securing the group shots and, although part of another day's programme, Coe masterfully demonstrated how it is possible to pose and shoot around 30 photographs of groups in less than ten minutes.
Part four is concerned with shots taken at the reception, and again this was looked at in greater detail during another part of the course.
Using this method of working and thinking, which usually takes place over several hours, is broken down into small amounts of time for photography.
Brian suggested a way of looking at it which is less daunting: "Say you were asked to take an outdoor portrait of some bloke, then add in a couple of his mates, then take a picture of someone getting out of a car, followed by a full length shot of a couple, you probably wouldn't think twice about it. That is what the first part of a wedding is all about. at the end of the day it's only a photograph of some girl in a dress."
 
In the gospel according to Barrett & Coe, the key to successful and stress-free posing is to keep it simple.
"The more elements you introduce to a shot, the more chance there is that something will go wrong," explained Andrew. "Portraits, even at weddings, are all about expression, and if you pose people three quarters on to the camera, then you are half way to getting a good portrait."
With these words of wisdom buzzing around our heads, we were ready for the practical part of the course. We were transported to a local church, where we were confronted with a number of 'wedding guests' and two sets of brides and grooms. All were 'willing employees' of Barrett & Coe, and they had been briefed not to make things too easy for us.
We were then split into two groups of four; one group went inside with Brian, to shoot some 'alter' and 'signing of the register' shots, while the rest of us stayed outside with Andrew to photograph 'part one' of the wedding, namely 'the arrivals'.
I held back while the other three did their stuff, and when my turn came, I carefully positioned the groom under a tree, where there was no top light, as this is one of the things that will almost certainly ruin a good photograph.
It was only while walking away, feeling pretty pleased with myself, that I realised that in the excitement, I hadn't loaded the camera. What Andrew had told me earlier that morning offered me a little comfort. "We want people to make mistakes - it's the only way they will learn," he had said.
It was certainly an interesting experience, and overall the level of support offered on the course is extremely good. As well as the usual one-day or weekend tutorials, the whole Barrett & Coe business is open to student/delegates. This includes digital studios, labs, shops, as well as a library of books and videos for loan throughout the six months the course lasts.
Simply by booking in advance, students can also visit and spend time with the staff at any of the sites, or even accompany Brian on a wedding assignment. There is no charge for this.
Students are also given homework - both written and practical - which they have to complete.
They send pictures to Norwich, where Brian and Andrew critique and assess them.
Nothing is secret. If you want to know anything about the Barrett & Coe business, then just ask. They will tell you how much they charge, and even provide you with their promotional material which you can use to help create your own.
Now that's what I call a real, practical help.
Barrett & Coe have been appointed by the City & Guilds as consultants for Higher Level Qualifications in Social Photography. Their six-month introductory course costs £1,950 (ex. VAT).
That was part an article that appeared in Professional
Photographer Magazine September 2000
- back to top -
|
